1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the recovery of spilled oil from the surface of bodies of water. The invention, through the use of a collector head, a separator tank, and automatic controls, collects oil and water from the surface of the body of water, separates the two liquids into an oil phase and a water phase, and separately discharges the oil and water for further processing. The invention is continuously controlled and monitored by a control processor.
2. Description of the Related Art
The oil spill management industry has had a very problematic history. Oil spill technology has not kept pace with the increase of spilled oil on our waterways. The increasing size and frequency of oil spills in our waterways is devastating the ecologically sensitive environment.
Oil, being lighter than water, floats on the surface and over time it will spread along the water. How far it spreads depends on the type of oil, weather conditions, the roughness of the waves, and time. Oil also hardens as time passes, hampering clean-up efforts even further. Prompt response time is therefore an important factor in oil spill control. However, oil spill control equipment currently used in the industry is limited in application, is quite expensive, and cannot be deployed easily and rapidly. Due to these limitations, most small spills of about 12 bbl or less are left completely untreated, and many moderate spills of about 12 to 1,200 bbl are left untreated or are treated ineffectively.
In addition to deployability problems, most equipment has considerable restrictions on multiple use, i.e. the equipment can only be used on certain types of spills. For instance, most collector head-type skimmers are effective only on calm water, so such devices cannot be used in rough water or strong currents. Further, waves and debris floating on the water disable most collector heads. Separators are often too large for portable use. Combined collector heads and separators typically require considerable support equipment and manpower to deploy and operate effectively. Few manufacturers of oil spill equipment use standard pipe and electrical fittings. This lack of standardized fittings substantially hampers equipment interface and compatibility.
With increasing concern about the environment, oil companies and government authorities are being pressured to clean up more spills than has been done in recent years, and to provide faster response times. The oil spill industry needs affordable, effective equipment so that even the smallest spills can be cleaned up quickly and effectively.